Here's the deal. Major League Baseball is teaming up with Pepsi to offer one team $200,000 for a project to benefit the community. With such a general premise, it allows teams to champion what they're interested in and what they think their city/state needs.
Though I'm tempted to turn this post into a personal soap-box of the politics of giving, I'm going to let the sports teams do the talking. You can draw your own conclusions. But for my money, I think I'll vote for the home team.
Seattle Mariners: "The Mariners are competing against other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. Their idea is to team up with the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence to mentor young male athletes and promote positive messages of honor and respect"
New York Yankees: "The Yankees are competing against other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. Their idea is to provide children throughout the New York City public school system with safe, fun and developmentally beneficial play spaces by leveraging private sector resources for the building and refurbishing of school playgrounds."
Detroit Tigers: "The Tigers are competing against other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. Their idea is the 'Refresh Recess' and fight childhood obesity by introducing the game of baseball to nearly 20,000 students."
Arizona Diamondbacks: "The Diamondbacks are competing with other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh grant. Their idea is to fund the "Batter up with Buddies" project and match Arizona's youth with developmental disabilities into friendships with student volunteers. The grant will also connect other schools across Arizona with the Diamondbacks including games at Chase Field and possibly meeting the players.
Chicago Cubs: "The Cubs are competing against other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. Their idea is to allow hundreds of kids of all ages across the Humboldt Park neighborhood to participate in baseball."
Cleveland Indians: "The Indians are competing against other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. Their idea is to expand The Cleveland Baseball Federation. The CBF provides 4,200 kids, ages 5-19, Twenty-minute sessions about personal responsibility, money management, and college preparations."
Chicago White Sox: "The White Sox are competing against other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. Their idea is to supply much needed school supplies to participants of the Inner City Youth Baseball Program. The kids will also be invited to their game against the Orioles in August and given a chance to be in a pre-game parade on the field."
Kansas City Royals: "The Royals are competing against other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. Their idea is to restore 37 baseball/softball fields with the grant of $180,000, in small communities in the Midwest region in one year with a $5,000 grant each."
Los Angeles Angels: The Angels are competing against other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. Their idea is to graduate 100% of at-risk high school seniors who are four-year college eligible with a clear career path plan by rewarding successful AVID students and their families with tickets to summer and evening Angels games and having Angels players and/or executives on-campus and in-classroom in speak directly to students about the importance of education in reaching career goals."
Milwaukee Brewers: "The Brewers are competing against other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. Their idea is to construct Milwaukee's first universally accessible baseball league, for children with physical or mental disabilities, to afford them the opportunity to play baseball."
Minnesota Twins: "The Twins are competing against other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. Their idea is to create a specialty softball field for Courage Center's Rolling Twins youth softball wheelchair team, which currently plays in a parking lot, and is in desperate need of a "home field"."
New York Mets: "The Mets are competing against other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. Their idea is to improve educational outcomes for low-income communities, improve attendance, behavior, course performance and civic involvement through a competition among 20 NYC public schools that encourages students to attend school everyday and to arrive on time. "
Oakland Athletics: "The Athletics are competing against other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. Their idea is to build an adapted sports field and community park for differently-abled people. Go to MLB.COM/PEPSIREFRESH or text "Athletics" to 76462 to vote."
Pittsburgh Pirates: "The Pirates are competing against other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. Their idea is to partner with the City of Pittsburgh to plant and cultivate an urban garden that would grow fruits and vegetables. The harvest would then be donated to various local non-profit organizations to feed the hungry."
Tampa Bay Rays: "The Rays are competing with other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh grant. Their idea is to work with Moffitt Cancer Center to promote cancer awareness and provide education to kids about making healthy choices."
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